4000003871

2 '

Royal

Comfnentarie;.

BooK

11.

H-A

P. IÍ.

Of the difficulties ami dangers which

Don Pedro de Alva·

rado

and his Companions fuflained in their Voyage.

THis

brave General

Don Pedro de A/varado

was accompanied witg,rnany other

worthy Gemlemen of Qyality, in which number _was

Ga:r¿ilaj[o de /~,Vega,

my Lord and Facher, whom

Cieca de Lean

calls Capcam

Garfilaf{o;

and

che

42d Chapter of his Book ufes chefe words: '' General

Don P-edro de Álvarado

was

" accompanied with

Diego, Gome~,

and

Alonfo de Aluarado,

which latter is now Ma–

" refchal in

Pm,,

as alfo with Captain

Garfilaf{o de la Vega, r_ohn 4e Saavedra, Go–

me~ de A/varado,

and other Perfons of Qgality, and arrived at a place near to

" the Quarrers of

Diego

Almagro;

upan which fuch conteíls and quarrels arcife

" between tbe two Parties, chac it was feared, thac matters would have broken

'' out into an open defiance,

&c.

Thus far are the Words of

Ciee;r,

;

where

is óbfervable, thac he onely calls

Garfilaj[o de la Vega

Captain, and the others

Gemlem~n; with ali whom

had a perfonal acquaimance, unlefs ic were wich

Pedro,

and

Dieto de A/varado.

In their paílage by Sea from

!'licaragua

Puerto

Viejo,

they fufiered much for want of Water, and other Prov1fions; for upon a

belief or fuppoíicion, thac che Voyage would noc be long, and being in greac

hafie co depare, chey omitted to cake Aboard ali chofe ·chings which were necefla–

ry for their Voyage. The like want boch of Viétuals and Water, they fuffered

afcer they \'\'ere Lmded, as will appear by che Relacions of the Accournanc

A1Jg11-

ftin de Carate,

¡md che Prieíl:

Lope~ de Gomara,

both which agree in the fame Nar–

rative, onely with chis difference abouc che value or price of che Horfes which

they were forced to•kili in che Journey, wherewith to give food to cheir

Men.

Wherefore I have thdughc ficto fer clown the Words of

Gomara

in che 127th

Cha_pter of his Book; wherein he briefly touches on ali che particular Labours and

Difficulties which

Don Pedro

and his Companions endured in chis Expedition;

·pare of which are as followeth:

, '' The Riches of

Pm,

being publiíhed in all pares,

Pedro de A/varado

obtained a

" Commiflion from che Emperour

difcover and plant Colonies in thoíe Coun–

tries, which were not as yet inhabited by any

Spaniards :

And in che

firíl:

place

'' he ,difparched

Garci Holg11in

with two Veífels

diícover the Countrey, and

" bring ihtelligence of ·what had lately paífed in Ehofe parrs.

Holguin

fo9n afrer

" returned with greac commendations of rhe Coumrey, and with mighty admi–

" racion

che vafi Riches which were raken and feized by the Imprifonmenc of

Ataba/iba,

reporting alío chat

Couo

and

f2.!!_itu,

a Countrey not far from

Porto

Vi–

ejo,

were extremely rich. Upon chis advice rhey refolved to fail thither; and

'' accordingly in che year

15 35,

chey armed out five Ships, and embarked there–

,, upon four hundred ·

Spaniards,

and many Horfes. With rhefe

A/varado

Landed

:: i?

Puerto Viejo,

and m~rched towa_rds

f2.!!_it11,

enq_uirin~ al~ays for che way, un-

till

they carne to certam great Plams, encompafled w1th very lofty Moumains ;

'' where chey had ali periíhed for want ofWater, had rhey noc by chance lighced

" upon a forc of Canes, which were filled with Water; and to farisfie their hun–

" ger, rhey ate che Flefh of their Horíes, which they were forced to kill, chough

" chey were worch above a thoufand Ducats a Horfe; chough

Cart11e

faich, rhac

" every Horfe was worch abouc four or five choufand pieces of Eighc

Spanijh

Mo–

" ney ; and crnly I rhink, thac this was the mofi probable value, becaufe I heard

'' ,fo

much in

Peru.

Th~

Volcano

fJ.!!itu

(

which is a burning Mountain) chrew

" up fuch quantities of Aíl1es

a rerrible ittuption which cominued for many

:; days, that ~ll the Ear~h 1,,~as covered with chem íorabove eighty Leagues n:mnd;

and when 1t burns w1th 1cs fiercenefs, fuch flames afcend from ir, that they may

" be feen ar a hundred Leagues diíl:am, and make fuch a noife, thar chey afioniíh

'~ more than Thunder and Lightning :" They were forced ,alfo to Fell che Woods